Rail Worker Stole £277k with Ticket Machine Hack
Mohammed Rahman, 29, of Ainsworth Way, London, has been jailed for ripping off his rail employer to the tune of £277,000. The former Govia Thameslink Railway ticket clerk pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Three-Year Prison Sentence for Fraud
On Monday 9 November, an Inner London Crown Court judge sentenced Rahman to three years behind bars. He must also pay a £170 victim surcharge. Rahman’s crime spree ran from September 2017 to November 2018 at Cricklewood station.
How Rahman Pulled Off the Scam
- Using specialist training, Rahman bypassed ticket machine safeguards with clever manual overrides.
- This trick made the system spit out fake replacement tickets for non-existent customers.
- He was caught on CCTV running the cash register without customers, tying these times to fraudulent transactions.
The scam was uncovered after a review of ticket office activity revealed £277,000 in lost revenue.
Police Speak Out on the Shameless Theft
“Rahman’s criminality spanned more than a year and resulted in significant financial loss for Govia Thameslink Railway,” said BTP Sergeant Tarrick Patrick. “He used his position of trust to hack his employer’s system and steal £277,000 worth of tickets in a shameless act of fraud – greedily getting ever-more emboldened as time went on. This boldness ultimately led to Rahman coming to notice and being the author of his own demise.” “The sentence passed by the court reflects the trust Rahman abused and the revenue lost by Govia Thameslink Railway.” “This was a complex investigation involving several specialist teams, including the financial investigation unit. Thanks to all involved in securing this conviction.”
